Precipitation
by She-Poe
Summary: AU. A walk in the rain, an accident in the sleet, sorrow in the hail. So what happens in the snow? Under Revision, Name Likely to Change
1. Rain

Rain

Katara packed her backpack full of homework, books, note paper, pens pencils, and whatever else was in her locker. She hated midterms, especially in math. English, and Home Ec. were okay; but math and science weren't her strongest subjects. Normally, she walked home with Toph, Sokka, Suki and Aang. But not today; they were all busy with after school activities. Since Suki joined gymnastics(Sokka always went with her), it was her job to be home on time to help Gran Gran with chores.

Now, she usually didn't mind walking home alone, even in the rain, but she was always weary to the whispers that came from the mouths of the younger kids that walked along the same road on their way home. Once she heard one of those brats say that Sokka was stupid. She agreed, but got so upset hearing a child insult her brother, that she turned around and waterbened him right of his feet. All the other kids immediately attacked her with their fists. There were way to many to fight off and each of them was punching her with full force.

"Hey!" She yelled as they knocked her over into the mud. "Get off!"

Zuko had seen the children squabling and quickly jumped off his bike. "Hey! Stop that!" He scolded. Obediently, the kids stopped beating on the girl and scattered. "Are you okay?" He asked, offering a hand to help her up.

"Muddy," The girl said looking at her muddy hand in his clean one. "Sorry?"

"S'okay." Zuko said. "Mind if I walk you home?"

Katara giggled to herself silently. "Sure. But what about your bike?" She asked.

"Eh, rain won't hurt it. Oh, sorry," he blushed as he realized he was still holding her hand.

______________________

They walked together in the rain, their heads uncovered with water streaming down their faces. Katara could feel her eyeliner running, but was more annoyed by her shoes getting sucked into the mud. Quietly, she bent down and slipped off each shoe, letting her bare feet squish into the mud. "That's better," She laughed. Zuko politely listened to her stories of home; how her mother disappeared while going to a meeting several years ago. Shocked, she listened to his stories and how similar they were to hers. She listend to how his father treated him like dirt, even though he was the oldest. She listened to how his mother disappeared eight years ago to the day. Then he told her how he got the scar that had marked him for so many years.

"I was warned," He concluded. "But too stupid to listen."

Katara gave a sad sigh. "We all can be stupid," She comforted. "Like me, just now. We passed my house a block ago." Suddenly she realized that time had stopped while she was with this boy. The sun was in the same place and the rain kept pelting down.

When they reached Katara's house, she and Zuko stood on the porch, silent. After an awkward minute, Zuko said, "I guess, good bye." He turned to leave and was half way down the steps when Katara yelled lightly;

"Wait! I know everything about you, but I don't know your name."

Zuko smiled. "I guess that means we're strangers then. Huh?"

"But-"

"Good bye."

Katara watched him go, staring at his footprints until Gran Gran opened the door and rushed her inside. "Where have you been?" She yelled, shaking a finger at her grandaughter.

"Talking to a stranger," was her simple response.

_________________________________

The next day at school, Katara stood by the water fountain finishing the last of her English homework. "Hey stranger." She heard from behind her. Silently, she flung her head to the side. To her surprise, there he was; the boy she knew so well, but didn't know at all.

"Hi," she said, almost breathlessly, back. "Oh, I'm Katara," she held her right hand out in front of her and held her books with the other.

"Zuko. I've heard about you; its nice to finally meet you," He said, gently grasping her hand.

"Likewise," she said. Before she could say more, he turned around and disappeared into the stairwell. _'Zuko_,' his name echoed in her head. Perfect.


	2. Sleet

**Sleet**

The weather quickly cooled that year, bringing Katara memories of her early childhood in the south Pole. She waited at her locker everyday after fourth period to meet up with her new friend, Zuko. She'd never tell him, but ever since they met, her grades had shrunken down a little, not so much that it needed mentioned anyway. She'd been slacking on her chores, shirking her respnsibilities, and spending more and more time with Zuko.

One day, right after school, she stood outside the huge brick building with her old floral backpack slung over her shoulder waiting for Zuko to get out of seventh period. Suddenly, she heard Aang's voice calling her name. "Hey, Katara! Toph and I are going to hit the library in a few. Wanna come?" He called from the other side of the garden.

"Oh, no thanks Aang. I'm meeting someone," she replied, looking over her shoulder to see if Zuko had come out of school yet.

"Okay! Your welcome to drop by anyway!" Aang said, waving and grabbing Toph's backpack strap, leading her down the side walk.

Minutes passed alone and cold for Katara. The chilled air was beginning to find its way through her heavy coat, and worse, clouds were beginning to form over head. With hopes crushed, she took one last look toward the closed glass doors and began walking in the other direction. She fought tears; this was the first time that he'd failed to show up. He'd probably found a girlfriend- anyone but that gothic girl that was always staring at him. No, that wasn't it. Maybe he decided that they shouldn't be friends anymore. Maybe he'd simply been tolorating her and not liked her at all. With all these thought rushing through her mind, Katara couldn't hold back any more. She stopped walking and put her gloved hands to her face. '_Stop crying_!' she yelled to herself mentally. _'Look, its starting to rain-snow- both- whatever! Just, go home_!' Quickly pulling herself together, Katara started walking home. Big drops of icey, half frozen rain thunked on her head(She didn't even bother to put her hood up).

*************************************************

"Your late. And soaked." Hakoda observed as his daughter walked through the front door. She threw her backpack on the couch and hung her coat on a hook behind the door. "I know your used to the cold, but you should start wearing your hood up. You'll get sick."

Without looking at him she said, "Doesn't matter." Then she silently walked across the living room and ran quickly up the stairs. At the top of the steps, she made a left turn and slammed the bedroom door behind her. On the back side of the door hung a full body mirror, taped to the corner of it was a photograph of her mother. "I wish you were here. Then I'd have someone to talk to. We'd be friends. Right? Not like Toph and her mother. We'd tell each other everything. Wouldn't we?" The combination of anger, frustration, worry and near-hate, brought back tears. She stayed in her room for hours, crying.

Suddenly, her phone rang. Reaching over to check the caller ID, she had little hope that it was anyone but a telemarketer. "Hello?" She said, trying to make her voice sound less shaky.

"Hi, its me- Zuko."

"Oh, hi." Katara sounded less than thrilled.

"I just wanted to let you know that- I wasn't there today... because, I..."

"I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore. After all your a jr., and I'm just a freshman. I get it. I'll back off."

"What?! What are you talking about? I enjoy talking to you. The fact that your younger than me doesn't matter to me... I couldn't come because I got detention." Zuko's voice sounded confused and angry and hurt all at the same time.

Katara laughed. "You got a detention. For what?" She proped herself up on one elbow and smiled.

"I, uh, got into an argument. With my firebending."

Katara laughed again, but her laugh seemed a little worried. "Your a real hot head. You know that?"

"Yeah, well. I gotta go... my father isn't too happy about the detention thing."

"Bye."

***********************************************

The next afternoon Katara waited at her locker for Zuko. She tapped her foot, counting the seconds till the bell while she waited. Finally, he showed up. He carried his chem book and a black binder in his arms; a smile on his face. His smile was contageous, and beautiful. Katara felt herself smile back, half because she was with him, and half because she'd been so stupid the previous day. "I- wanted to say that I was sorry for yesterday." He said, his smile fading slightly.

"No. I'm sorry, I overreacted. I was just angry," she replied quickly, putting a hand on his arm. "and, maybe a little jealous too." Her face turned pink. They both laughed. "Hey, your mine. You aren't allowed to have anyonther friends but me." Katara rolled her eyes. "Take a chill pill. I'm only joking."

Zuko sighed. "Yeah, thing is I don't have too many other friends. I never really got along with anyone." Katara closed her locker and started walking beside Zuko down the hall. Their footsteps became as indistinct as pebbles in a metal bowl. She'd never paid any attention to the fact that he had always been alone. Truth be told, none of her friends liked him either. "But, you've managed to grow on me." Katara moved her hand up to Zuko's shoulder. Suddenly, he grimmaced and shrunk away from her.

Katara's smile drooped into a worried frown. "Whats wrong?" She grabbed his hand and made him stop walking.

"Nothing." He lied, avoiding her eyes.

"Thats not something you'd do if nothing was wrong. What happened?"

"I told you last night! I got into a fight, I got hit. Back off!" Zuko erupted, tearing away from her and walking swiftly to his next class.

Without moving, Katara yelled; "Why won't you talk to me?"

Quickly, the boy piveted and walked back to Katara, getting a little too close. He didn't say a word, but looked into her eyes. Somehow, she heard him yell, 'I got into a fight and got hit!' "Don't do anything stupid like that ever again. Or I'll kill you myself." Zuko wasn't amused and left silently.

*************************************

At about six that evening, just as Katara had finished her math homework, her phone rang. She flipped it open with a smile, happy to talk to the person on the other end. "Hey, can I come over and talk to you? Its important." The voice said.

Nearly short of breath with worry Katara said, "Yeah, come on over. Its no problem." She hung up the phone and put all of her books on the desk in an effort to tidy up her room. A knock at her window drew her attention. It was Zuko. Quietly she opened the window and he climbed in. The look in his eyes and all over his face scared her into tears.

"I knew you something was wrong." Katara wrapped him in her arms, not exactly how a "Good Friend" would. "I-Is it bad?" She asked, afraid to hear the answer. "Let me see." She shakily lifted the back of his shirt and covered her mouth trying not to scream. Scars covered his back from being burned so many times. Bruises from being hit. Quickly, Katara covered her hands in water from a small bowl on her bedside table. She cried silently as she healed him. She held her hands above his skin so only the water touched him.

When she had finished, Zuko turned to look at her. "You, that's impossible, how did you do that?" She shook her head in an 'I don't know' way. "I'm sorry. I, shouldn't have come here. I made you cry." He turned to jump back out the window. Just before he lept out Katara heard her own voice say, "_Kiss it and make it better". _Before her chace was gone Katara grabbed his arm and kissed the scar on his face. It didn't fade. "It was worth a try." He said, smiling.

"Be careful. The sky looks bad, they call for freezing rain again tonight." Zuko nodded, still a little red from her kissing his cheek. "You're welcome here anytime."

Then he left. Katara hoped that he'd be alright. She wanted to jump out the window and run to get him. To tell him he could stay at her house. For some reason, she couldn't move.

************************************

In homeroom the day after, Katara looked all over for Zuko. He'd never missed a day of school before, not even when he was sick, and she was sure that he wasn't sick. She would have known. "Hey," she said passing Aang in the hallway. "Have you seen Zuko around?"

Aang's face looked confused. "You mean you didn't hear? He was in an accident. He broke a few ribs or something." Katara grabbed her coat and bolted down the hall way toward the main doors. Without consulting anyone she left and began walking, nearly running, to the hospital.

When she arrived her face was red from the icy wind. She approached the information desk and leaned on the counter. "Excuse me? My friend was in an accident... Zuko... black hair, gold eyes?" The woman looked at Katara over her glasses in a "Shouldn't-you-be-in-school" way and pointed to the door alomst immediately on her left. Without a thank you she pushed the door open and ran into the room dropping her coat on a reading chair. To her suprise he looked better than she imaged.

"Katara!" He said suprised. He forced himself to sit upright. She ran over to him, nearly tackling him in a hug. "I'm fine," he assured her quietly. That didn't stop her from crying. She wanted to hit herself. If she hadn't invited him over... "Don't cry... I need you to listen to me. They don't believe me, so I need you to listen." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "I made it home last night."

"Zuko, your... Is there anyone you can stay with?" Katara asked, trying to sound stronger than she felt.

Without thinking the boy said, "I have an uncle... a crazy, tea-loving, whack-job of an uncle. I guess I could stay with him." Just as Zuko finished his uncle walked into the room. "Its like he read my mind..." Zuko whispered. Katara looked at the man; older, his hair greying, very jocund, she thought. He wandered into the room, jsut like he was coming into a grocery store. He looked at everything, including the dully painted walls. Another thing that Katara noticed about him was that he spoke cryptically, always using proverbs and such. For some odd reason, Katara could sense that Zuko and his uncle were more like father and son than uncle and nephew.

"I'm Iroh," the man said, introducing himself to Katara. As he walked over to Zuko, he tapped his shoulder and whispered, "She is very pretty, just like you said." Katara blushed and Zuko tried to hide his face. Seeing that he had embarassed the teens, Iroh switched the subject. "Your doctors said you could come home by this weekend. I'm sure you'll want to get back to your friends." The moment his uncle said friends, Zuko shot a look at Katara (who threw one right back).

Katara stayed at the hospital all day, without getting uneasy once. She even fell asleep on one of the reading chairs. She was only woken by a young nurse who told her that her father had called and was waiting in parking lot A for her. When she finaly reached the car, there was a silence. Her father stared at her angrily with a look of, 'What has that boy done to you?!' Swallowing hard Katara asked, "Are you mad at me?" There was another long silence while she buckled her seatbelt. "Skipping school?" Her father asked calmly, yet slightly angered. "Thats not like you. I've noticed that you have been slcking on both your school work and chores. If that is what that boy does to you, I can't let you see him anymore." Katara felt her jaw drop and tears coming to her eyes. "From now on, I'll be picking you up from school. You can't walk home anymore, no bike riding, no motorcycling, no pony riding... No means of transportation but this car. Do you understand me?" He pulled into their driveway and Katara got out of the car quickly. "Yeah dad." She said through her teeth. She ran straight up to her bedroom and dialed Zuko's cell phone.

Two days later(Saturday), Katara found some extra time while her father was away, and decided that it was her chance to go visit Zuko. When Katara arrived at the hospital, she told the woman who she was going to see. "Oh," the woman said. "He left about two hours ago." Katara looked down at her shoes, thanked the woman, and left. When she got home, she checked the messages on the home phone. 'Hey, I'm really sorry I couldn't talk to you in person. But I couldn'tleave without saying good bye. Things will be better for me. I'm living with uncle now. We-uh- we live half way across the continent. And- I'm so sorry that I couldn't talk to you face to face. I just wanted to say-' the machine bleeped 'OUT OF TIME' on the small screen. Katara held her face in her hands and cried. He was gone.

Forever.


	3. Hail

Hail

Hail fell harder and louder on the roof above Katara's room. She would have been happy if the hail had woken her up, but in truth, she hadn't slept a whole night through in over a month. That's how long he had been gone. Now, life was back to the way it had been-what seemed to be- long ago. Lightening flashed outside of her window, illuminating his picture that she had left hanging on her mirror.

"_Please!" Katara had begged as she pulled on Zuko's sleeve. The boy shook his head and laughed. "Please! It won't hurt! I promise!"_

"_I know it won't hurt… but in case you haven't noticed I'm not the most photogenic person around," He looked down to the ground._

_Katara rolled her big glue eyes. "I think you're perfect," she said, trying to convince her best friend to get his picture taken with her. "And besides, you can burn yours the moment you get home… I just want something to remember you by incase-" Quickly, she stopped in mid-sentence._

"_What?" His eyes darted up to her._

"_Oh my God!" She gasped, pointing at the sky. "Look!"_

_Zuko looked up to the sky, trying to find what the girl beside him was looking at. Finally he gave up. "What?"_

_Suddenly, Katara grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the photo booth. "Its you getting your picture taken!" She squeaked as she fed a dollar into the machine. A light flashed as she held Zuko in the photo booth. Again, as she gave him bunny ears. A third time as she kissed his cheek. And a fourth time as he blushed- really, really badly. "Here, We'll get double prints," Katara said as she pressed the copy button and fed another dollar into the machine. After six minutes of processing, printing, and drying the photos fell out of the dispenser into a little cage. "See!" Katara laughed. "Painless!"_

The memory brought tears to her eyes. That was the only autumn festival they had been to. The scent of rotting leaves still tickled her nose as the scene played out in her head. He had been wearing the old red sweatshirt he always had on, she had on her worn Old Navy hoodie with her dark blue jeans and cerulean scrunchie in her hair. "Love you," she whispered now, wishing she had said that that day. Katara lit a match silently, careful to blow it out after she lit the wick on the bright red candle by her bed side. She dunked the end in a little bowl of water- the same one she had used the night that Zuko had snuck in her window with bright purple burns on his back.

A purple diary was pulled from her pillow case and a note scribbled in it. Then, she dipped he middle finger in the wax and signed her first initial in the blood red wax. 'I love you.'

************************************************************************

Zuko was once a normal kid. Happy, unscarred. Now, he was just the silent new kid who wore a lot of red an black. In turn, he was labeled as the freakish emo kid. He didn't feel welcomed in this new school. He had no friends, no one that really cared about him. No one like _her_. Some days he wanted to call her, to IM her, anything. But Uncle, as understanding as he is, would not let him have any contact with anyone in the town he had once lived in. There was no way that he would risk Ozai finding out where they were.

Late one night, Zuko woke to the patter of hail on his window. Nothing had been going right since he left. Nothing. He couldn't go a day without thinking about her. The way they had been such good friends, but he had secretly wanted more. He remembered the way he had been able to run to her the night his life changed forever. He had felt her icy hands press onto his back ever so gently. The way she defied her father to be with him when he was at his weakest. The way she held his hand so tenderly. She had kissed him carefully on the cheek on that night. And hasn't spoken a word to him since he left.

It was strange, he thought, looking at his calendar; December 15 circled in red marker. _Prom_. He laughed, that wasn't gonna happen. _At least not in this school. _He had been so close to asking her. So close. But could never muster up enough courage to do so. Now, he would never see her again.

For days Zuko fought with himself. _You can't. __**You have to**__. You shouldn't he could find you. __**Do it**__! No! __**Do it now**__! No! __**Get your ass on a plane**__! _With that, his mind was made up.

************************************************************************

Katara held the midnight blue dress up to her. It _was _very pretty, for once gran gran had picked something that showed her neck. Too bad she wouldn't be able to wear it. Prom was in less than a month. She hadn't even bought tickets, and she had no one to go with. Toph and Aang were going together, Sokka-who she wouldn't go with- was going with Suki. Haru wasn't the partying kind. And Jet… he was probably fighting off the girls. Katara just didn't understand what they saw in him. So what? What's so attractive about the loud mouth, probably-crack-smoking guys? Nothing. At all. Silently, she dropped the dress on the carpeted floor and sank down on her bed in tears. This wasn't fair!


	4. Snow Part 1

Snow

It was the week of prom, and Katara found herself with two tickets that she really didn't want to buy. The only reason she had wasted her money on these stupid tickets was so no one would ask her to go. She really had no desire to be at a dance with someone she didn't love. And that's what prom was about, being with someone you love.

The gym was being decorated for "A Night to Remember"-the prom theme this year. The walls and windows were being draped with black crepe paper and streamers were billowing down from the ceiling and all coming together right over the very center of the floor; where the king and queen would dance, and sparkles would fall onto them and with any luck, they would share their first kiss. (It was customary for no couple to kiss for two weeks before prom, so that night would definitely be the best night in a long time.)

Rime had started to coat the grass in the early morning. Winter was too close, and though it was Katara's favorite season, she didn't want it to come. A whole season? It couldn't have been a whole season already. His black hair, his golden eyes- they were so far away now. Nothing was the same with him gone. A smile never graced her lips and her eyes never lit up anymore. Her father seemed pleased, though. Her grades had improved from B's and C's back up to A's and one B- in math. If only he knew about the sleepless nights she spent crying. How would he react if he were to stumble upon his only daughter crying at three AM because of a boy. But he wasn't just a boy. He was her best friend, the one that she would have given anything for. The one that she could mess with and he wouldn't get angry at. He was the only one that she ever felt safe with.

If only she could see him one more time, she would hug him and never let go. She would gaze into those beautiful golden eyes and never look away. The only person she would even consider going to the prom with would be him. Zuko. For a moment she saw his face in her mind's eye. "I love you," she whispered into her pillow that night. Suddenly a pain ripped through her body. She loved him. She loved him. Burying her face as deep into the pillow as possible, she drew in a sharp breath and sobbed quietly. Her eyes drifted to the midnight blue dress that hung on her closet door. But that only made her sob harder. It was so beautiful, but she would never get to wear it. And so for the fourth time that week, Katara cried herself to sleep.

*******

Zuko placed his bags on the conveyer belt and stepped through the metal detector. After what seemed like forever, he was finally on board the plane. The engine started and the green SEATBELT sign flickered on. A flight attendant's voice crackled over the speaker. "We are now ready for take off. Please fasten your seatbelts till further notice. Thank you." Zuko followed instructions and stared out the window, watching as the plane left the ground.

The only thing he could think of was her. The girl that he had run to. The girl that had treated him like a true friend. He saw her blue eyes fill with tears as he revealed his wounds to her. She had taken such care to heal him, and wasn't disgusted by the burns and bruises that would have made a trained medical professional cringe. He remembered how she had held him close and the last thing that she had done before he was found along side the road was kiss the scar on his face. He had climbed out her window that night, wanting to stay. And, if he had, maybe he wouldn't be on this plane right now.

Silently, he cringed at the memory- pushing it away as he looked out over the clouds.

*****

Katara's alarm buzzed loudly only moments after she had drifted to sleep. Angrily, she slapped the snooze button and announced into the pillow that she was not going to school. Scowling, she turned over and let the early morning light drift through her window and settle on her face. Her eyes flickered to the corner of her mirror where the pictures of her mother and Zuko were taped. She sighed sadly, and looked over to her closet again, looking the dress up and down. "Oh!" She groaned and her hands went up to her face in anger and frustration.

Honestly, Katara had no drive to get out of bed. At school she would just be plagued by questions about what she was wearing to prom and if she had been asked to go yet. Then there was always that jerk, Jet who was almost stalking her. He had asked her countless times to go with prom to him, and no doubt already had a swarm of girls that had asked him. Katara felt as if she should be honored to be wanted by the most wanted boy in school. But, it wasn't the same as being wanted by someone that she loved. Again, she looked to the pictures on her mirror and sighed. With closed eyes, she pictured it; she stood there with her blue dress brushing the sequined floor. Her eyes cast downward, teary. Someone came and hugged her tight. The embrace was warm… like _his_. When she pulled away and looked into his eyes, they were golden. She gasped with her lips only lightly parted. Then he kissed her. And it was magical.

"Oh, just go away!" Katara yelled as she threw her pillow at the mirror. It bounced off, falling onto her vanity and knocked over three bottles of perfume and a glass of water. "No!" she squealed. "No no no!" Instantly, she leapt out of bed and grabbed a shirt from her dresser to sop up the water. Horrified she picked up a piece of- now soggy- paper. Zuko's hand writing scrawled over the lines. When she tried to pick it up, it fell to pieces. Loss hit her like a wave. Tears were pouring from her eyes. Silently she fell to her knees, holding the navy shirt to her face. "Stupid! Why are you so stupid! He is just a boy! Why do you keep feeling this way?"

_Katara, baby girl_. A familiar voice chided. Shocked, Katara looked up from her hands. There was no one in the room but herself. _I have always wanted to see you happy. And if this boy makes you happy, then cry for him. Don't let all of your emotions build up, cuz eventually they are gonna explode. Just cry baby. Cry for now and everything will be better soon. _Katara looked up from her hands again and the strip of photographs lying in front of her on the floor. Her eyes drifted to the one where her lips were just pressing against the scar on his face.

****

The plane soared above the clouds like a bird. Zuko looked out the window as his mind wandered. The prom was the next day. And he was going. With Katara. A sudden fear swept over him_. What if she already had a date?_ Quietly, he laughed to himself. If she had a date, then he would just crash prom. And that would be fun. Right? Zuko tried to imagine breaking into the school gym and lighting the streamers on fire. There would be no harm… the sprinklers would put them out right away.

Zuko found himself laughing again. At what, he was unsure, but he felt happy. The flight seemed so long and drawn out, that Zuko almost fell asleep. But he had promised himself that he would not fall asleep until he had seen Katara. So he pulled his iPod from his hoodie pocket and pressed play on a random song.

_And I've lost who I am_

_And I can't understand_

_Why my heart is so broken_

_Rejecting your love_

_Without love gone wrong_

_Lifeless words carry on_

_But I know all I know_

_Is the end's beginning_

_Who I am from the start_

_Take me home to my heart_

_Let me go I will run_

_I will not be silent…_

* * *

Snow, Part One finished.

So, you like? Tell me! Click the little review button (directly below, I do believe).


	5. Snow Part 2

URG! IT HAPPENED AGAIN! What I write actually happens! URG! The guy I really really really like is moving away! No! T-T Soooo not fair! **Okay enough of the self pity... get on with it!**

MKAY! THIS IS THE END! When you see the *PLAYSONG* play Here by Rascal Flatts. DO IT!

Her room was cold. With faded slippersocks* warming her feet, Katara leaned on her window sill. Small puffs of steam fogged from her lips as she sighed. The roof that hung off of her bedroom like a balcony shimmered with rime. As did the oak tree in the back yard. In fact, the yard its self seemed to glow. Katara rested her forehead on the icy window pane, watching as the birds swooped from one frozen tree to another. The sun was glimmering off of the vine covered fence, making the buds look like diamonds.

"'If only if only, the woodpecker sighs, the bark on the trees was as soft as the skies. While the wolf waits below hungry and lonely, she cries to the moon if only if only,'" Katara quoted under her breath. She turned her eyes from the glass to look at her room. She still had the same old aqua bed spread thrown over her mattress. The walls were painted a faded sky blue and her mother's favorite necklace was laying neatly in its box on her night stand.

There was a knock on her bedroom door. Katara jumped away from the window and walked to see who it was. Gran Gran smiled as the door opened. "Katara," she said. "I know that you're upset. And, you really don't want to go to prom tonight. But that dress is so beautiful on you, you should at least put it on and come down stairs so your father can see how gorgeous you are."

"Alright, Gran Gran. Are you gonna make me do the hair and make up too?"

"If its worth doing…"

"Yeah, I know." Katara closed the door and stared across the room at the dress. Her eyes narrowed in scorn, she bit her tongue until red drops fell from her mouth. She had no intentions of wearing that dress, but guilt was a powerful thing. Gran Gran and her father had spent a lot of money on the dark blue dress; she had to wear it, just once.

It took Katara two whole hours (mind you, one of them was spent silently complaining about how awful she was going to look) to put her dress on, dust her face with blush, and tie her hair back away from her eyes. The dress fell al the way to the floor, and was obviously supposed to be worn with heels. But since she wasn't really going to prom she didn't have to wear shoes at all.

Katara plodded down the stairs, trying not to trip over the extra fabric around her ankles. Gran Gran covered her mouth as she saw her granddaughter. "You look so beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Just like your mother!" Gran Gran's eyes were full of tears in the memory of her late daughter. "Oh, you've put on her necklace!"

"Thank you, Gran Gran," Katara said quietly. Then she turned to her father with a 'so… what do you think' look on her face. He met her eyes with a wide, proud smile. "Gorgeous," he said, taking her in a hug.

"Thanks Dad. Can I take it off now?" With simultaneous nods from her father and grandmother, Katara began to ascend the stairs and then bold right for her room. She locked the door behind her and stood in front of her dresser. Her mother's necklace glinted in the quickly fading sunlight. Her face sparkled with the shimmer powder that she had applied earlier. Almost disgusted, Katara angrily grabbed a tissue from the box on her dresser and rubbed it across her face. Her eyeliner and mascara smeared, making it look like she had been crying. She grabbed another tissue and wiped it over her lips, the peach lip gloss coming clean off. Her hands fumbled in her hair to find the bobby pins and rip them out one at a time, making her curls fall on her bare shoulders.

Hating the silence, Katara turned on her laptop's music player. School Boy Humor sounded through her room as she continued to wipe at her face with tissues and makeup remover. By the time she had finished removing her make up, hair pins, and jewelry, it was pitch black outside.

PLAYSONG

A pang at her window drew her attention. She opened her window carefully, and gathered her dress in her hands. The frozen air made her skin prickle with goosebumps. "Hello?" She called, swinging her legs out the window. Her bare feet melted the frost that had shined on the roof with in seconds.

"Hey."

Katara's mouth fell open in a gasp; her hands covered her mouth and nose instantly. Tears welled in her eyes. "Surprised to see me?" Zuko laughed, gathering her up in a hug. "You look beautiful," he said into her hair. Secretly, he was heartbroken. Why would she have bought a dress if she didn't have a date?

"What are you doing here?" Was all she could say as she drew away from him.

"I had to come back," he explained. "I never told you goodbye." Zuko brushed a stray curl out of Katara's eyes. "And besides, I couldn't just let you go to prom by yourself. I might be a little under dressed, but..." He said, looking down at his hoodie and jeans. Katara giggled shyly.

"Actually," she confessed. "I didn't have any intention of going. I was just going to stay home."

"Then we will. May I have this dance?" Zuko bowed and held out a hand.

"Of course you may." Katara took his hand with a smile. For a while they swayed shyly with each other, almost a little too awkwardly. Suddenly, she tore her hands away from him and threw them around his neck. Tears soaked through his hoodie as he wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let her go. As they danced, snowflakes fell on Katara's bare shoulders. "I missed you... I missed you so much," she sobbed quietly.

"I missed you too," he whispered into her hair. Slowly drawing away from him, she said his name, her voice shaking. "Hm?" he asked in response.

"I... I love you..." Zuko quietly pressed his lips to hers in an answer. They lingered there for what felt like an hour. And in that moment, Katara thanked the dark for canvassing the deep red blush spreading over her nose and cheeks. Everything in her body felt like she had just ran a marathon: her legs nearly collapsed under her, her breath was caught in her throat, and her heart was beating so fast, she was sure it would fall out of her chest. As she came away, she noticed white flakes falling through the air and laughed. "You know," she started quietly. "I didn't think I was ever going to get to do that..."

"Neither did I," he said with a smile.

And they danced, in the falling snow, on her roof top, content.

**Yay, happy ending! **

**It takes a great person to captain a ship, and a greater one to willingly jump aboard for a destination unknown.**

Some call it reckless.

We call it Zutara. 

**~She Poe**


End file.
